Photography is often used to record and share experiences, such as vacation trips, family outings, or seasonal events. Still and video images of such experiences can be captured using image capture devices such as camera phones, digital cameras and camcorders. The digital images captured by these image capture devices can be shared by e-mail and uploaded to web sites such as Facebook and Flickr, where they can be viewed by friends. The uploaded images can be printed using photo service providers, such as the Kodak Gallery website. Users can order photo products, such as photo books and collages, which utilize uploaded digital images.
Mobile phones, tablet computers, networked cameras and other portable devices incorporating camera modules and network connections to the Internet have opened up new opportunities for capturing and sharing photographic images. They have also enabled two users, such as two family members living in different locations, to use a video chat system, such as Apple FaceTime, to see each other's faces while they conduct a conversation.
It is known to produce enhanced photo products by combining images captured with an image capture device and professionally produced digital content, as is described in commonly-assigned U.S. Patent Application Publication 2008/0174676 to Squilla et al, entitled “Producing enhanced photographic products from images captured at known events,” which is incorporated herein by reference. The system includes a database for storing custom content for a plurality of events. The system also includes a digital image capture device that stores a digital image and information defining the date/time and geographic location of the digital image. A service provider automatically determines if the timestamp and the geographic information corresponds to events stored in the custom content database. A processor produces an enhanced photographic product including the captured digital image and custom content corresponding to the timestamp and location of the captured digital image.
It is known to use image recognition techniques to produce a photo collage from a plurality of images, as described in commonly-assigned U.S. Pat. No. 6,389,181 to Shaffer et al., entitled “Photocollage generation and modification using image recognition,” which is incorporated herein by reference. The system sorts digital records associated with a plurality of images, by culling or grouping to categorize the records according to an event, person, or chronology, in order to automatically compose a photo collage.
It is known to use facial expressions to identify favorite images. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 7,620,270 to Matraszek et al., entitled “Method for creating and using affective information in a digital imaging system” describes a system which uses a camera to record a user's facial expression as they view images from a collection.
It is known to modify images of a user during a video communications session. U.S. Patent Application Publication 2007/0268312 to Marks et al., entitled “Methods and systems for processing an interchange of real time effects during video communication,” describes a system (such as an on-line video game) where video from a first user (such as a video of their face) is transmitted over a network to a second user and real-time effects (RTE) are applied. For example, the face can be modified in real time, such as by enlarging the entire face or certain features (e.g., the mouth or eyes), or by adding a beard or a hat.
It is known to provide systems which enable captured images to be shared with various destinations. For example, commonly-assigned U.S. Patent Application Publication 2006/0136379 to Marino et al., entitled “Image content sharing device and method” describes a device having user inputs that enable content which is viewed in a presentation mode to be easily shared with different destinations.
It is known to organize images using the time of capture and content-based features. For example, U.S. Patent Application Publication 2006/0153460 to Kim et al., entitled “Method and apparatus for clustering digital photos based on situation and system and method for albuming using the same,” describes a method for situation-based clustering of digital photos using the time as well as content-based features.
While the prior art provides systems and methods to capture and share images of an event with family and friends at a distant location, and to conduct a video chat with these same family and friends, none of these solutions provide for the interactions which occur during the video chat to become part of the story of the event. There remains a need for a system and method for forming a multimedia product using video chat.